Thank you for your comment, Didier. Even though it is bureaucratic, I quite like the AP-Nummer system in German, at least insofar as that it gives a unique identifier for each wine. With the variety of different vineyards and different wine styles some winemakers have (just think Markus Molitor) it can sometimes be very useful.
Theoretically, the wine bureaucracy is only meant to withhold an AP-Nummer if there is a fault in the wine. What a 'fault' is though, well there seem to be different opinions. Following my Tweet about this Ramble here, a helpful Twitter user passed on a link to an interesting article on a similar story. Salwey, one of the Wine Rambler favourites, still have not managed to receive an AP-Nummer for one of their Grand Cru Pinot Gris from the 2008 vintage. The wine was turned down twice as 'faulty' - because Salwey used cold maceration and basically vinifed the Pinot Gris as if it were a red wine. Apparently, he is now planning resubmit the wine again in a year or two... The article makes an interesting read, it is in German though. It also points out that in the 1980s barrique wines were often labelled as faulty, whereas the commissions in the 1990s took some time to come to term with spontaneous fermentation.
Either way, Keller got his AP-Nummer and I have tasted an unusual but most importantly great wine. You are certainly right that Keller is way beyond the need to have his wines approved by any commission. What happens in France when a producer turns out a good wine that does not fit into the AOC style? Or does that just not happen?
In reply to Typicity by Vimpressionniste
Re: Typicity
Thank you for your comment, Didier. Even though it is bureaucratic, I quite like the AP-Nummer system in German, at least insofar as that it gives a unique identifier for each wine. With the variety of different vineyards and different wine styles some winemakers have (just think Markus Molitor) it can sometimes be very useful.
Theoretically, the wine bureaucracy is only meant to withhold an AP-Nummer if there is a fault in the wine. What a 'fault' is though, well there seem to be different opinions. Following my Tweet about this Ramble here, a helpful Twitter user passed on a link to an interesting article on a similar story. Salwey, one of the Wine Rambler favourites, still have not managed to receive an AP-Nummer for one of their Grand Cru Pinot Gris from the 2008 vintage. The wine was turned down twice as 'faulty' - because Salwey used cold maceration and basically vinifed the Pinot Gris as if it were a red wine. Apparently, he is now planning resubmit the wine again in a year or two... The article makes an interesting read, it is in German though. It also points out that in the 1980s barrique wines were often labelled as faulty, whereas the commissions in the 1990s took some time to come to term with spontaneous fermentation.
Either way, Keller got his AP-Nummer and I have tasted an unusual but most importantly great wine. You are certainly right that Keller is way beyond the need to have his wines approved by any commission. What happens in France when a producer turns out a good wine that does not fit into the AOC style? Or does that just not happen?